Shillong, October 26: With prisons in England and Wales on the verge of running out of cell space and a concerning surge in knife crime, the British government faces calls to address the associated security challenges.
Leading media outlets in the country, including The Times and the Financial Times, have reported that prisons are so overcrowded that judges have been instructed to postpone the sentencing of convicted individuals on bail.
Lord Justice Edis, the senior presiding judge in England and Wales, reportedly urged judges to utilize cells in magistrates’ courts to detain suspects accused of the most serious crimes who were remanded in custody.
As per IANS, official figures revealed that the prison population had reached 88,016, just 651 short of the “usable operational capacity” of 88,667. This surge in the prison population is attributed to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and a lawyers’ strike, compounded by a higher-than-usual number of offenders entering prison this year.
Adding to the concerns is the rising knife crime, including knife-point sexual assaults, in London. Over the 12 months ending in March this year, more than 12,000 knife offenses were recorded in the capital, a 16% increase from the previous year, according to the Office for National Statistics.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan links the increase in violence to the cost-of-living crisis, which pushes more people into poverty and leaves young individuals vulnerable to exploitation.
Justice Secretary Alex Chalk has proposed a plan to address the issue, which includes releasing less serious offenders early and giving community sentences to those guilty of lower-level crimes instead of incarceration. Meanwhile, individuals convicted of serious crimes like rape and sexual violence will face longer sentences.
These measures have elicited mixed reactions from the public. Some, like Christine Haycock, express concerns about going soft on criminals, fearing it might worsen safety. Others, like Lawrence Dennett, advocate for fewer non-violent offenders being sent to prison in favor of community sanctions, reserving prison for more violent criminals.
Barry Godfrey, a professor of social justice at the University of Liverpool, notes that while community service may help in some cases, imprisonment remains necessary for the protection of society. Addressing knife crime, he emphasizes the need to tackle its root causes and address the social factors that lead young individuals to join gangs.